Africa-Press – Tanzania. PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan has pledged to recognise gallant Twiga Stars for clinching the 2021 COSAFA Women Championship. The Tanzanian envoys clinched the silverware after a sweaty 1-0 win over Malawi in a tense but action-packed final at Nelson Mandela Stadium in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
President Samia issued these remarks yesterday at the Jakaya Kikwete Convention Centre in Dodoma during the launching of the campaign for national development and wellbeing in the fight against Covid-19.
“In a unique way, I congratulate the national women’s team for winning the COSAFA championship. These ladies have done very well. I pledge to recognise them.” Other than President Samia congratulating Twiga Stars and promising to issue her recognition on their performance, she also applauded six music artists for being short-listed in different Afrimma Awards categories.
The artists include Nasseb Abdul (Diamond Platinumz), Ali Kiba, Omary Mwanga (Marioo), Zuhura Othman Soud (Zuchu), Faustina Mfinanga (Nandy) and Rosary Iwole (Rosa Ree).
“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the six music artists who have triumphantly entered the finals in various categories of the AFRIMMA awards in the United States. I call upon (Tanzanians) to vote for them; let us vote for them in large numbers so that they can emerge victorious.” President Samia explained that the arts and entertainment sector is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the country.
She insisted it contributes significantly to the economy and offers many employment opportunities to youths. To ensure Tanzania prosper in this sector in the last six months, for the first time, the government has set up a development fund and allocated 1.5 billion/- to support national teams.
In addition, President Samia has allocated a budget for COSOTA to enable it to collect art collections. She noted that artists would start receiving royalties from their work from December this year.
Other than that, they have launched a women’s sports festival, established artists’ awards, organised an African festival of beauty and fashion for people with hearing impairments where six Tanzanians have qualified to go to the World Beauty festival in Brazil next year.
